Visit to Iwo Jima: A pure battlefield

In 2001, I joined a tour to the Marianas and Iwo Jima.  More than half of the tour members were Marine veterans who joined the battle in 1945.  Other tour members were Dr. Stephen Ambrose, noted military historian, and Mr. James Bradley (author of the book "Flags of our Fathers."  The tour departed from Los Angeles via Honolulu and on to Guam.  During the first part of the tour, we visited both Saipan and Tinian.

The visit to Iwo Jima started very early in the morning.  We arrived and were met by a contingent of U.S. Marines and their vehicles.  The day was spent touring the island from end to end including Mount Suribachi. A final ceremony was a joint remembrance with Japanese and U.S. dignitaries. At the end of the day, tour members re boarded both aircraft for the flight back to Guam.

Iwo Jima is a closed island and currently serves as an airfield for the Japanese Defense Force.  It is very difficult to arrange a visit to the island.  Below are personal photographs and accompanying narative:

Mount Suribachi in view as we approach early morning for the landing.

Preparing to turn for the landing on Iwo Jima.

Marine vehicles preparing to transport tour participants.

 Primary landing beaches from the top of Mount Suribachi.

Memorial to the flag raising on the top of Mount Suribachi.

Erected tent for the concluding ceremony on Iwo Jima.  

Entrance to Japanese fortification on Iwo Jima.

Sulphur colored steam from tunnel on Iwo Jima.

Rusting Amtrac landing vehicle on Saipan.

Blogger in front of Japanese artillery piece on Saipan.

Atom bomb loading pit on the Island of Tinian.  The bomb was too large to load on the bomber in a conventional manner.  The bomber would pull over the pit to be loaded.

Remains of the Japanese Naval Headquarters on Tinian.

North Field on the Island of Tinian.  This was one departure point for bomber raids on Japan.

I have now concluded all of the battlefields visited in my travels.  Because of the vast distances in the Pacific, it is difficult to visit those battlefields.  I hope to visit some additional sites in Europe.